Hollywood’s Next Blockbuster, Divergent, Has A Little Something For Everyone

Divergent, the new dystopian film starring Shailene Woodley, is set to open tomorrow, and while many of you might think that it’s just another Hunger Games that you have little interest in seeing—guess what? You’re wrong. There’s something for everyone in the Neil Burger–directed movie that’s the first of a slew of studio blockbusters parading out this spring and summer. Here, we break it down for you.

For the Science-Fiction NerdDivergent is adapted from the Veronica Roth novel of the same name, based in the not-so-distant future, where humans are still reeling from the consequences of an often-mentioned war (though with whom or why it happened, nobody seems to know). It’s been decided that the best way to ensure lasting peace is to divide citizens into factions, based on individual personality traits such as intellect, bravery, selflessness, kindness, and honesty. How and when do people decide what faction they belong to? What happens if someone doesn’t fit into any or all of these? The premise echoes a dystopian setting not unlike that in Brave New World, plus, the special effects make the whole movie feel like a Disney ride on an adrenaline shot—especially those dream-induced “fear tests” that are a total mind trip.

For Those Suffering from Ryan Gosling Withdrawal
Since we can’t predict how long Ryan Gosling’s break from acting is going to take, we’ve had to move on. Enter Theo James, who plays Four, a mysterious instructor of newly divided initiates and a romantic interest of Shailene Woodley. James is a British actor with an Oxford education (swoon); you might also recognize him as the gorgeous Turkish diplomat who weaseled his way into Lady Mary’s bed on Downton Abbey (who would say no?). He’s definitely someone we’re hoping to ogle—I mean, see—a lot more of this year.

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Miles Teller as Peter, Zoë Kravitz as Christina, and Shailene Woodley as Beatrice ‘Tris’ Prior

For the Indie-Film Snob
Those who scoff at having to endure another blockbuster movie can take comfort in knowing that Woodley has an impressive indie pedigree, with memorable turns in Alexander Payne’s The Descendants and last year’s critical darling The Spectacular Now. She plays the main character, Tris, who learns she doesn’t fit into a single faction—soon we discover that she has traits from three of them. (In this way, she is “divergent” and thus considered a threat to society, get it?) Woodley brings a surprising amount of depth to the role. She almost didn’t take the part, but she smartly sought advice from Jennifer Lawrence, who recently made the jump from newcomer in Winter’s Bone to major movie star seamlessly.

For the Spotify Addict
So let’s say neither Theo James’s lips nor Shailene Woodley’s heroic performance intrigues you enough to head to the theater. There’s still one major draw—the music. British singer Ellie Goulding created four exclusive songs for the film’s sound track, and there are several catchy tunes strewn throughout the film, including beats by A$AP Rocky,Pretty Lights, and Tame Impala.

For the Hunger Games Freak
Factions, a war-torn society, a heroine who is gifted with special abilities—does this all sound vaguely familiar? Yes, there have been countless comparisons to Hunger Games, and even though they are quite different, Divergent will definitely appeal to those who crave a little more postapocalyptic conflict in their lives. There’s a mastermind villain, here played with icy effect by Kate Winslet, lost childhoods, and enough combat scenes (Woodley is one hell of a knife-thrower) to hold you over until The Hunger Games: Mockingjay comes out in November.